Sealing Depicting a Snake on an Altar

AAT Object Form/Functionfigures (representations)

AAT Object Form/Functionstamps (marks)

CultureRoman

PeriodRoman

Date1st Century CE

MediumTerracotta

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. William K. Zewadski

Dimensions3/8 x 7/16 x 3/16 in. (1 x 1.1 x 0.5 cm)

Object number1996.005.031

Label TextSnakes were thought to have protective and apotropaic powers, and appear frequently on amulets as well as in funerary art. This snake is shown coiled on top of an altar, implying a ritual context. The star suggests, in fact, that this may be a depiction of one of the Castores/Dioscuri, who are sometimes represented as snakes, perhaps linking the motif to the Castores Dolicheni and the cult of Jupiter Dolichenus, extending the god’s protection to the document that the seal marked.
Exhibition HistoryMaking an Impression: The Art and Craft of Ancient Engraved Gemstones, Michael C. Carlos Museum, August 27 - November 27, 2022

ProvenanceEx coll. William Knight Zewadski, United States, gift from Fortuna Galleries, New York, New York, 1991.

Status

Not on view

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